Kimber Montana

Hey all, new to the forums here so i figured i would start off with a question. does anyone have any expierience with the kimber montana. I have found one at a gun shop by my house for a great price, just dont know anything about them. It is in 270 WSM. I would be using this rifle for coues deer and black bears here in az, and probably shots out to about 600 yards. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks Daniel

I have had a Kimber Montana in 300 WSM for about 5 years now. It has a 4.5-14 Leupy scope on it and shoots pretty well. I've used it to take a few deer since I've had it and really like how light it is to pack up and down the mountain. The rifle shoulders and handles really well and because I've used it on a nice mule deer and a really nice blacktail, I'll probably never get rid of it. That being said, if I had to do it again, I probably would have bought something different. The Kimber rifles that I have had and been around are all good rifles, but are not exceptional rifles for that price. If it's just going to be a packing rifle without major mods and shots limited to 600 yards, I would go with a Tikka. The Tikkas my buddies have and my wife's 270 all shoot lights out, have clip fed mags, come with scope rings, and are half the price! Tikkas aren't flashy, they just get it done. Best of luck if you haven't already made your decision.

Sorry for the late response, but this is one of the least traveled parts of the forum.

I also have been looking at the Kimber SS rifles. I did find a person that had a .300wsm at the range one day, so I inquired about it. He hated it. The bolt-handle had broken-off (?) while on a recent hunting trip to the west. Bummer! And he had just got it back and was firing a few rounds before he offered it For Sale. He said it would group into 1" at 100 yds. with factory 180 gr. loads. He did not reload.

That being said, I really like the over-all appearance/finish/feel and general "looks" of the rifle. I have NOT crossed it off my list, yet.

I have been watching for a used Kimber Montana for a mountain rifle because like you, I like the weight, fit & feel. That said, some Montanas shoot well & others do not. The last two I looked at the sellers admitted they weren't able to find a factory round that would shot well. I've known others that had a Kimber Montana that would easily shoot 1/2 moa.

I've only seen one Tikka that didn't shoot well. The Tikka isn't as light but they are a viable option, and the price is a lot less than a Kimber Montana.

I have several Kimber rifles in everything from 22-250 through 333 Win mag. The issue with them is that they are difficult to shoot well as the barrel is so very lightly contoured. The rifle itself is built extremely well and the barrels are quite capable, but again a slightly beefy barrel would make those 600 yard shots easier.

Wgdii is right on with his assessment. SOME of the issues with accuracy in the Montana are due to light weight and, especially with the WSM's, is the sharpness of recoil and amount of torque generated. You really have to hang on to them and that makes things that more difficult. It is a joy to pack, but it is the hardest to shoot accurately on a consistent basis than any other i've had.